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by Ceiphied Knight
Summary: Written for the Z/A LJ community. What if Amelia was the chimera? Just a short little story. Please read and review if you feel like it!


**HOME**

_**Author's Notes**__: I really shouldn't have written even a short story while I have two others in limbo, but I couldn't help it!_

_This was written for the "Chimera Challenge" or whatever they're calling it over on LJ. It was a challenge to get more activity going on the Amelia/Zel community. _

_The prompt was to write a story or draw a fanart depicting Amelia as the chimera and Zel as the human. _

_I took it in a slightly different direction with this story because I didn't want it to be cut-and-dry, and I'm feeling particularly romantic today. _

_So please read and enjoy!_

_P.S. This takes place in some alternate timeline between Revolution and Evolution-R, which has not yet aired. Hence the references to Rezo._

* * *

_All you have to do is bond with another human._

Rezo's words rang in Zelgadis' ears.

After speaking with the spirit of his late grandfather, it was revealed to the chimera that there was a cure of sorts for his condition. Zelgadis was, of course, wary about trusting the man who had put him in his current state in the first place. But for the first time in years there at least seemed to be a light of hope.

Amelia followed closely behind him as he approached the ruins which Rezo said contained the correct incantation.

"Are you sure about this, Amelia?" Zelgadis asked, without looking at his friend.

"Of course, Zelgadis-san," Amelia said, without hesitation. "I would do anything to help you get your cure."

Zelgadis allowed himself a smile, though there wasn't much joy in it. It actually frightened him a bit that Amelia was so willing to bond with him, as per the conditions of the spell, without even knowing what that entailed. For all he knew, it could kill her.

He expressed his concerns to the princess.

Zelgadis felt a tug at his sleeve and finally turned around. He looked down at the short girl, and his heart skipped. She looked so determined, but so fragile. He would never forgive himself if this spell hurt her.

"Stop worrying so much about me," Amelia said, looking serious. "I know what you're thinking, but everything will be fine. Besides, even if something happens…" She dropped his sleeve and blushed, looking down a bit. "I won't mind because I was doing it for you."

Zelgadis also felt his face grow hot, and turned back towards the ruins.

"All right, Amelia. Let's go."

* * *

Inside the ruins, Zelgadis immediately found what they were looking for, based on Rezo's description.

It was a tablet, almost as tall as Amelia, and about three feet wide. It was propped up against a wall and looked like it would be a pain to move, so Amelia and Zel just left it right where it was and began reading.

"We have to join hands," Amelia said, reaching out to her friend. Zel fought back another blush and grasped hands with her.

She had really soft hands.

"Now," Amelia continued, "We have to concentrate our energy into the central point, where our hands meet, and recite the spell."

They did so.

Nothing happened.

Zelgadis huffed in frustration. "It's not working! I knew that damned Rezo was lying to me again…"

The chimera was cut off by Amelia suddenly flinging herself away from him. She grabbed her stomach and fell to the ground in convulsions.

"AMELIA!" Zel screamed and scooped her up in his arms. She continued to hold herself and twitch, and Zelgadis felt that he was on the verge of completely freaking out when she stopped just as suddenly as she had started.

As she lay there in his arms, Zel began to feel strange. A soft glow slowly illuminated both of them, and Zel felt an odd tingling sensation all over his body.

As he watched in horror, Amelia's skin began to pale and harden. He could feel the texture of her bare arms where he still held her. It was beginning to feel like warm marble.

Her hair was also getting lighter in color. Her raven colored locks were becoming shiny, like wire, and paling to a strange slate gray.

He saw that her ears had also become slightly pointed.

He sighed with relief when the light around Amelia began to dim and she opened her eyes.

Her eyes were the same deep blue they had always been, except now they were looking at Zelgadis with a wide-eyed wonderment that confused him.

"Amelia, are you all right?" He asked her, wondering if her strange transformation was still painful.

"I've never been better," she said with a bright smile. "After all, you're human!"

"WHAT?"

Amelia dislodged herself from his arms (not that she really wanted to) and found her bag, pulling a small mirror from it and handing it to Zel.

Zelgadis thought she was taking all this very well.

When he looked at himself, he couldn't believe it. His skin had taken on the same pale tone as Amelia's, and while it was still a bit hard (again, like Amelia) it could be easily mistaken as human. His ears retained a slight point, and his hair was still a bit stiff (though now more of a brown color, like it had been when he was human), but the best part was that he had completely lost the rocky formations on his skin.

It seemed that the 100% human part of Amelia, combined with the 1/3 human part of him, had formed a new kind of chimera that could at least pass as human.

Zelgadis kept staring at himself in disbelief.

He was broken from his reverie by Amelia giggling. Looking up at her, his chest clenched in pain.

"Oh, gods, Amelia." He jumped up and threw his arms around her like she was dying. "I'm so sorry! You have no idea how sorry I am about this!"

The princess was confused.

"Sorry about what?" She finally asked, not wanting to break the hug but wanting to look her friend in the eye. She pulled back a bit and did just that.

"About…this. The spell. Everything! You gave up part of your own humanity for me."

She put a finger to his lips, silencing him. "Yes, and it's exactly what I wanted to do. I told you, I would do anything for you."

Zel had no idea what to say, so he just stood there with his mouth hanging open.

"Besides," Amelia said, cheerfully changing the subject. "With skin like this, I won't be so easily hurt anymore! I can more efficiently fight for justice!"

Zel remembered the time she had been blown against a craggy mountainside by the Mazoku, Seigram. She was critically injured that time, and would have died if not for the healing powers of the Golden Dragon, Milgazia.

But with stone skin, he would never again have to fear for her safety. Not as much, anyway. He'd never have to watch her bleed all over her impeccably white traveling outfit.

"You may have a point, there" Zel finally said, smiling. Amelia was happy to see he'd lightened up.

She took his hand and led him out of the ruins and into the bright sunlight.

"This is going to be a new beginning for you, Zelgadis-san," Amelia said, looking across the expanse of land they would once again have to cross to get home.

_Home._

Zel pulled the little princess towards him, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"It's a new beginning for both of us," he said, softly.

Amelia didn't have to ask what he meant.

Without letting go of each other's hands, they began walking towards home.

THE END.


End file.
